Tesla CEO Elon Musk's decision to quit serving as a business adviser to President Trump because of Trump's exit from the Paris climate accord is spurring additional scrutiny of the billions of dollars in tax subsidies Tesla, SolarCity, and other Musk companies have received over the last decade.

"Elon Musk has received $4.9 billion" in green tax benefits, Moore said. "He has a vested interest in making sure these subsidies continue so of course he's mad at Trump."

Trump pledged to end the climate accord on the campaign trail. Musk's decision to leave Trump's advisory team has only fueled more criticism of the green subsides and how he has made his living.

"Good riddance," said Benjamin Zycher, an American Enterprise Institute scholar and a vocal critic of the Paris deal. Musk's entire business model is based on government subsidies, Zycher added.

Freedom Partners launched a six-figure digital ad campaign on Friday aimed at persuading Republicans to back their guiding principles in the upcoming GOP tax overhaul debate. One of their top-line priorities: ending "special-interest tax credits and deductions for businesses and individuals."

"We want to eliminate all tax carve-outs, special interest giveaways, and corporate welfare—regardless of who benefits—while lowering rates to grow the economy," spokesman Bill Riggs said in a statement. "Americans deserve a society of mutual benefit where businesses thrive by improving people's lives, not gaming the system to profit off taxpayers."

Moore's and Riggs' comments echo conservative criticism about his subsidies aimed at Musk on Twitter after the billionaire tech mogul tweeted Thursday that he would end his role on two of Trump's business councils.

Does he really care about the environment or is it just the government handouts lining his pockets? If he did care he would design electric cars everyone could afford. Not just those who can afford to pay six figures.

Does he really care about the environment or is it just the government handouts lining his pockets? If he did care he would design electric cars everyone could afford. Not just those who can afford to pay six figures.

Honestly, I don't believe a single leftist gives a shit about the environment unless it somehow benefits them personally.

Honestly, I don't believe a single leftist gives a shit about the environment unless it somehow benefits them personally.

Well those in government don't. Last week Obama flew a private jet to Italy and had a 14 car convoy so he could tell the rest of us to eat smaller steaks. If these "leaders" really cared they would Skype or teleconference to keep their carbon footprint to a minimum.

Well those in government don't. Last week Obama flew a private jet to Italy and had a 14 car convoy so he could tell the rest of us to eat smaller steaks. If these "leaders" really cared they would Skype or teleconference to keep their carbon footprint to a minimum.

...But that would deny them the golden opportunity to see whose government wastes the most money to send them there to negotiate nothing over less than nothing.

Well those in government don't. Last week Obama flew a private jet to Italy and had a 14 car convoy so he could tell the rest of us to eat smaller steaks. If these "leaders" really cared they would Skype or teleconference to keep their carbon footprint to a minimum.

Thanks for qualifying, you're Right, it's the Dim party that tells the world what to do while gorging on steaks, AC turned to 68 in the summer, drive reinforced SUV' with armor plating that gets 2 gallons per mile on their way to their private jets.

Kass gently reminded the former President how much steak he had cooked for him over the course of his presidency (hundreds)

We need a real dictionary, where one can look up a word and find an accompanying pic describing the word.For example, "Hypocrite", pictured left, the DNC headquarters displaying a flag depicting their hero, Karl Marx.

Musk understands marketing to individuals and investors - including the government. Picking the company name is more important than the product, aligning yourself with the correct trend to obtain the greatest subsidies, grants or funding... well, the guy figured out what to sell, how to sell the idea, and where the government trough was located.

The only thing Musk has in common with the Tesla name - they're both dreamers, but only one of them was a legitimate inventor.

Marketing genius, probably so.

Case in point: Who would buy an electric car that took a mile to reach 60mph or looked like a VW "Thing" from the 1960s?If you're really, really liberal, with tons of money to blow, why wouldn't you want to live in "Solar City"?

you could go down the list, but for now, just defund the guy & his companies from any US government help, and watch his investors scramble to sell off their share. Introduce the possibility of "failure" into his "projects" - the funding dries up. He's got that figured out - he doesn't have to produce results in a level economic market.

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All animals are created equal; Some just take longer to cook. Survival is keeping an eye on those around you...

Musk understands marketing to individuals and investors - including the government. Picking the company name is more important than the product, aligning yourself with the correct trend to obtain the greatest subsidies, grants or funding... well, the guy figured out what to sell, how to sell the idea, and where the government trough was located....

you could go down the list, but for now, just defund the guy & his companies from any US government help, and watch his investors scramble to sell off their share. Introduce the possibility of "failure" into his "projects" - the funding dries up. He's got that figured out - he doesn't have to produce results in a level economic market.

No-bid contracts and government subsidies: Elon Musk - the left wing version of Halliburton!

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Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.-- Barry Goldwater

Someone read the writing on the wall that President Trump was going to leave the Paris climate scam. IMO Tesla depended big time on the USA to say and be a big player in that Paris accord.

If President Trump stays in the Paris accord was dumping Tesla's stock a big mistake...? Remember back in February Goldman Sacks recommended dropping all of Tesla's stock and two day after Trump pulled out Toyota came a little late to the party of dumping the Tesla stock.

I'm probably feeding to much into this but you have to admit dumping of Tesla's stock and Trump pulling out of the Paris climate scam might go hand in hand; although, the reason Goldman Sacks gave the dump back in Feb was the "merger with financially-strapped solar panel provider SolarCity".

Someone read the writing on the wall that President Trump was going to leave the Paris climate scam. IMO Tesla depended big time on the USA to say and be a big player in that Paris accord.

If President Trump stays in the Paris accord was dumping Tesla's stock a big mistake...? Remember back in February Goldman Sacks recommended dropping all of Tesla's stock and two day after Trump pulled out Toyota came a little late to the party of dumping the Tesla stock.

I'm probably feeding to much into this but you have to admit dumping of Tesla's stock and Trump pulling out of the Paris climate scam might go hand in hand; although, the reason Goldman Sacks gave the dump back in Feb was the "merger with financially-strapped solar panel provider SolarCity".

Yeah, that was a scam from the get go. Musk depended heavily on future subsidies, so it comes off as a weak excuse that they dropped Musk over Solarcity, when both are only alive because of taxpayer subsidies.I pray to God Trump dumps and guts the entire Commie Green energy scam, if he doesn't, I think the blame can be laid safely in the laps of the Establishment whores.

Does he really care about the environment or is it just the government handouts lining his pockets? If he did care he would design electric cars everyone could afford. Not just those who can afford to pay six figures.

Picking winners and losers

This whole situation is a great example of the practice of "picking winners and losers." Imagine a football game between two teams where one has much more athletic ability. Clearly, the more talented team would win. But suppose the referees say, "But this other team is so much more deserving. They're from the 'hood. They're underprivileged. We need to help them." So the referees award them a few touchdowns to begin with. They let five yards count as a first down. They make the other team gain fifteen yards for their first downs. They keep awarding favors to the less talented team; as much as it takes to make them win.

This is like what the government has been doing in the economy. There is one team whose operations are most efficient. They can produce the most energy, miles driven, whatever, for the fewest number of man-hours. But this other team is all about sunshine and flowers and rainbows. Their operations take several times the number of man-hours to produce the same products. They are inherently less efficient. So the government steps in and provides grants for their initial investment. They provide refundable tax credits to customers who buy the favored company's products. They impose "windfall profit taxes" on the efficient company, to "level the playing field." They keep awarding favors to the less efficient company; as much as it takes to make them win.

A true "level playing field" would be one where there is no government interference. Each company would provide their products at the actual cost it takes to create them. Whichever company provides the best products to their customers at the lowest cost, wins. Most of all, the customer wins by choosing the best deal for himself. A free market is the ultimate democracy.Government interference only drives up the cost to the consumer, by taxing the efficient company, and giving to the inefficient company money that could have been used to provide more and better products.

When government picks winners and losers, the badly performing companies win, and the consumers lose.

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Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.-- Barry Goldwater

I'm not defending Musk but let's be honest, he's not dumb. The government offers him billions in subsidies for his company in the name of climate change. He's be an idiot to not take the cash.

Sure, if you're looking for an opportunity - a politician comes up with a scheme to transfer money -out- of your wallet to someplace or to someone else, why not be the 'someone' else?

Al Gore warns the end is coming, we've got to do something radically different.Elon Musk starts up companies to meet that radically different agenda, thus insulating himself from criticism, and becoming quite wealthy.

Here's where most people fail, it's not the next invention or novel idea, rather you're really looking for the next government subsidized investment.

Whatever Elon Musk really is, inventor or investor, he won't quit. If he's really the image he's created, the inventor like Tesla - that drive to tinker won't stop until he dies. I suspect he's an Alexander Graham Bell type... he gets to the patent office, an hour before the inventor does. (...wow, this is gonna make me RICH!!!)

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All animals are created equal; Some just take longer to cook. Survival is keeping an eye on those around you...

I'm not defending Musk but let's be honest, he's not dumb. The government offers him billions in subsidies for his company in the name of climate change. He's be an idiot to not take the cash.

I had the same opportunities as Musk, saw the deals being offered, but I refused to take them, I was even offered sealed bids running in the millions, I refused to partake in the theft of taxpayer money.I'm not alone, the majority of people I worked with refused to take the money as well, not everyone is willing to work with the Devil. It's what makes us Conservatives.